3 poems by Jordan Stempleman

***

DIXON
for Bella

the casual work before leaving for continuing work

is to hand over two broken pencils

for each of her hands


two in one hand

and she says

letters are more than words


her kind of letters

so not really said to anyone else

she knows

***



***

THE CHAIR

with sitting comes how far to sink

reaching up again

to match the needed height


where by all sides there becomes

the one person

the start of something pushed

***



***

THE SHAKE


though for the sake of explaining a newish dance

plenty may clear and call it

what you would call it


there will be a right number

one to sing through

as if to sit up and forget the singing


was the thing

that flew out and quit being frightened

and inside

***